All it Took
by nowayjoses
Summary: Annie Cresta's view on her own Hunger Games, and how she and Finnick supported each other.


It was her parents that pushed her to train.  
She saw no point. She was perfectly content with her rather well-off life in District 4. The Cresta's had owned a shop that sold fishing essentials, bait, lines, hooks, and because that was necessary for her Districts industry of fishing, money was rarely an issue for them. And victors often returned home to District 4, being that most children trained and volunteered for the event, so bringing riches to the District wasn't an issue. It left the only reason to be pride for the family itself. Being an only child, much was expected from Annie. Her father's cousin was crowned victor many years ago, and they wanted another Cresta to follow her. Because Annie was the only remaining reaping-age member of the family, she was the lucky one.  
She didn't mind at first, she assumed she would listen to her parents, trained for the years leading up to her final reaping, and when she was suppose to volunteer, hope someone stepped in before her, and she would blame them.  
Her old neighbor, Finnick Odair, whose family owned a fishing boat, was reaped into the games at 14, and no one volunteered. He had trained for the last four years, and was quite skilled with tridents from his years of fishing, He was just about as prepared as a 14 year old could be, and when he came home as victor, there was something about him that had clearly changed.  
She saw him by a hidden beach one day, wild yet exhausted eyes glaring out at the sea. She crept up and sat next to him in the white stand. "How do you feel, Finnick?" Was all she said to him. And that's all it took before he opened up. After that, it wasn't so easy, but she found a way in, to the point we he considered her his best friend. And on her 17th birthday, when he kissed her for the first time, her heart nearly exploded.  
But it took so long, to somewhat get Finnick sane again, and he was strong. She was very aware it would not be so easy to regain happiness herself if she went into the Games and came back.  
So she trained, like her parents made her, but she promised herself she would never volunteer, and if she were reaped into the Games, so be it, she would be ready,  
And reaped she was.  
As she said goodbye to her loved ones her mother smiled warmly and embraced her, handing words of confidence to her daughter. Her father on the other hand, just reminded her how proud he was, and how by winning how much pride she would bring to the Cresta family. Finnick was the only one whose visit was sorrowful. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Annie." He mumbled into her hair. "You don't deserve to go through this." The only words Annie trusts are Finnick's, he is the only one who will understand because he is the only one who went through it.  
It seems like only 5 minutes went by before she was in the arena, surrounded by forests and mountains. She looked around at her allies, the two pairs from Districts 1 and 2, and her District partner Lake. Lake was Annie's age, 17, and more trained than her as he volunteered, but he was very nice, and she felt leading up to the games they had gained a friendship. She was saddened, realizing how the games would now ultimately end in her losing a friend, if not herself.  
The bloodbath raced by in a whirl, and she felt herself lost after she pierced a District 5 tribute's back with a spear, the weapon plentiful in District 4 that she was trained to use. Her first kill was a boy, just a couple years younger than herself. He was one of the only seven people killed in the first hour of the games, the only one murdered by her. Afterwards she could tell her eyes stayed slightly wider and wilder when they explored the forest. She wondered if she looked like Finnick, if the strange grief for a boy she didn't know was why Finnick stayed away from everyone for weeks following his own Games.  
But she didn't have time to contemplate the reasons for his insanity because just that night came the first tribute they had encountered since the initial battle. Deliah, the District 1 girl tossed a knife at the District 12 boy's neck as he faced the other way. He didn't make a single noise as he fell to the ground and his death was signaled.  
Just a couple days later, only 11 tributes remained, until they came across an alliance made up of the pair from District 3 and the girl from District 6. A brawl broke out between the nine tributes, a very large number for one fight. The District 3 boy faced her and was about to bring a dagger down on her head, Annie aimed a spear to the boys chest, but before she could react Ky, the male from 2, had already brought a sharp object to his spine, making him fall with a thud. "You're welcome." Ky simply said before directing his attention at a different tribute. Annie shook her head to get rid of her daze and turned to help Lake battle off the girl from District 6. Again, time wasn't left for reaction, as the girl swung an ax at Lake's neck.  
His body stayed standing for a moment after his head fell to the ground, alone.  
The world spun around her as the head of fifteen year old lake rolled onto the ground. "Lake..." She almost whispered. "No," She stated in disbelief. "no, no, no." She didn't want to believe it. Her impulse in the spur of emotion set anger and sadness throughout her, and the spear in her hand was thrown into the forehead of the girl from District 6.  
And then she ran.  
She didn't wait for Delilah, Ky, or her other two allies, she just ran. Multiple canons erupted as she ran as far as she could, not caring how much noise she made. She was sure her mad eyes looked like Finnick's now. She felt grief, but not in the same way she felt grief after her first kill. This was a heart-wrenching, throat tightening, grief that made her want to yell out loud in psychological pain. When she physically could not run any more, she made her way up the nearest tree, brought her knees to her chest, and let the world stop around her.  
That night the sky showed the faces of the District 3 tributes, the District 6 girl, and Lake. She didn't let her emotions out after that, she simply sat, curled up, until a day, or maybe two, later when her hunger and thirst finally begged her to come down. More tributes died in that period of time. Only six remained. Herself, both from District 1, the girl from District 2, the District 7 boy, and the District 9 girl.  
Annie never looked for any of them after that, fearing that she would be outnumbered, and simply not wanting to see any of them at the moment. Within the next week and a half only the girl from District 9 had died, and it made her wonder if the lack of activity was boring the Capitol audience.  
The question was answered when the ground erupted in violent fit of shaking one say. One canon went off during it. Minutes later, she heard a roar. One all too familiar to some parts of District 4, it was a huge wave, a tsunami. This woke her up and she ran, she didn't stop, just like after Lake was killed. She ran in the direction she believed was the way to the cornucopia. Another boom was heard, making the number of tributes left be only three, and almost immediately after she saw the wave about to crash over her.  
She gasped, but right before it hit her she remembered to hold her breath as a sudden explosion of cool water surrounded her. Then she pushed herself up, as high as she could go, knowing it was the only way to keep from drowning because she was so far under water. When she finally hit the surface she took a large gulp of air before continuing her journey to the cornucopia, she saw it almost immediately after, and pushed herself to swim faster. _It's right there_. She thought to herself. _So close, it is so close. _Then she finally made it when another canon boomed. The water reached the top of the cornucopia, so it wasn't hard to climb, but when up there she clutched on for dear life.  
Then she saw her in the distance. The vague figure of Deliah, struggling to swim over the harsh waves to the cornucopia. And when another large swell fell over Deliah, she never came back up, and a minute later the 23rd canon went off.  
After that her life was a blur. She watched herself from somewhere else participate in all the ceremonies the victors took part in after the games. She was at the crowning, the interviews, but it wasn't her acting happy as a victor, it felt like it was some other soul in her body. She was practically mute to everyone if it wasn't mandatory she talked. And when she was back in District 4, she never even talked to her family who begged she volunteer and bring pride to the Cresta's.  
She only sat by the hidden beach, alone, glaring out into the sea, contemplating what it would be like to drown like Deliah, but she would be the one to do it on purpose.  
She didn't get her voice back until Finnick Odair sat beside her on the beach and mumbled to her- "How are you feeling, Annie?"  
And that's all it took.


End file.
